Families of Iraqi immigrants detained by ICE wonder if they'll see loved ones again

A daughter of an Iraqi immigrant detained recalls when ICE agents showed up at her home in Sterling Heights on June 11 to arrest him.
Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press

Children of Iraqi-American man in Sterling Heights detained by immigration agents fear for their future without dad

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Siblings from clockwise, Meryana Butris, 9, Lilly Butris, 12, and Eli Butris, 3, at their home on Monday, June 12, 2017 in Sterling Heights. Their father Joe Butris was picked up by ICE and detained on Sunday, June 11, 2017. (Photo: Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press)Buy Photo

Story Highlights

Iraqi-Americans and supporters hold protests in Sterling Heights and Detroit over ICE detentions

Chaldean protesters try to block bus with Iraqi immigrants detained by ICE being transported to Ohio

Inside the family room of a Sterling Heights home, Haydar Butris' family passed around the phone so that they could speak with him. The 38-year-old father of three was calling from an immigrant detention facility four hours away in Youngstown, Ohio.

"Hi, dad," the boy said. "I love you. ... When are you going to come home?"

That question was asked by many Iraqi-Americans in metro Detroit on Monday a day after federal immigration agents conducted one of the biggest roundups of Iraqi immigrants in recent memory. Attorneys for those detained speculate that the number of immigrants taken away Sunday range from 90 to 300, and were mostly Iraqi Christians. ICE did not release a number of detainees.

"When are you coming home?" asks Eli, 3, as he talks on the phone with his father, Haydar Boutris, 38, who is in an immigration detention facility in Youngstown, Ohio. Boutris was detained June 11, 2017, by ICE agents at his home in Sterling Heights.(Photo: Niraj Warikoo)

Sunday's deportation raid gave rise to an emotional Monday evening protest, as those gathered chanted "Stop deportations, bring the families home" on the corner of 15 Mile and Ryan Road in Sterling Heights at one of the centers of metro Detroit's Iraqi-American Christian population. "Chaldean lives matter," said one T-shirt, referring to Iraqi Catholics.

Federal officials in Detroit strongly defended their actions, saying Monday that the immigrants they detained have criminal backgrounds and were targeted for deportation after a deal struck with the Iraqi government.

"As a result of recent negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq, Iraq has recently agreed to accept a number of Iraqi nationals subject to orders of removal," said Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for the Michigan office of ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

"As part of ICE's efforts to process the backlog of these individuals, the agency recently arrested a number of Iraqi nationals, all of whom had criminal convictions for crimes including homicide, rape, aggravated assault, kidnapping, burglary, drug trafficking, robbery, sex assault, weapons violations and other offenses."

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Family, friends and community members take to the street Monday in Sterling Heights to protest Sunday's mass arrest of Iraqi Americans. The immigrants are to be deported, but families don't know when or where.(Photo: Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press)

But Walls said: "Each of these individuals received full and fair immigration proceedings, after which a federal immigration judge found them ineligible for any form of relief under U.S. law and ordered them removed."

They were taken to a detention facility in Youngstown, where Butris made his call.

In 1993, Butris legally immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq with his parents. But when he was 20 years old, he was caught possessing seven pounds of marijuana, which makes him eligible under the new administration of President Donald Trump to be deported.

Previously, the U.S. usually didn't prioritize legal immigrants with minor criminal records for deportation, attorneys have said.

Butris' oldest child, daughter Lilly Butirs, 12, wept as she recalled what happened Sunday morning at their home. She recalls the federal agents at her home putting her dad in handcuffs.

"It's not fair," she said. "I don't know why they want to rip families apart. This country was built on immigrants. ... We're not treated like people. We're treated like objects. That's not OK.

"Do you know how hard it is to have your father, who means everything to you, just taken away from you, having that scared feeling you're never going to see him again?"

Family photo of Haydar Butris with one of his daughters. Butris was detained on June 11, 2017, by ICE immigration agents and could be deported to Iraq. He is Christian and would face persecution there, said family members.(Photo: Family photo)

On Sunday, family members of many of the detained waited outside the Detroit ICE offices at Jefferson Avenue and Mt. Elliott trying to get answers.

Late Sunday night, some of their frustrations erupted as a crowd of Iraqi Americans attempted to block buses transporting the detainees to the Ohio detention facility. Videos posted to social media show them chanting "Let our people out" as they appear to stand in front of a bus.

Attorneys said the Iraqis who were arrested came to the U.S. legally, but after they committed crimes, were subject to be deported. However, such cases were not seen as priorities before Trump became president, said Southfield attorney Clarence Dass, who represents ten of the Iraqis arrested, including Butris.

Iraqi-American Christian advocates and defense attorneys say that the raids were cruel since Christians are currently being persecuted in Iraq, where they are a minority.

"We're sending them to die," said Warren attorney and Southfield district court magistrate Eman Jajonie-Daman, who is representing 25 of the Iraqis detained. "How do you justify that? It's an egregious violation of human rights."

Jajonie-Daman said that 307 were detained on Sunday in raids involving many ICE agents.

Walls said: "ICE does not target individuals based on religion, ethnicity, gender or race. ICE's enforcement actions target individuals who are subject to immigration enforcement.

"These efforts are targeted and lead-driven. ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately."

At the Sterling Heights rally, family members held up photos of loved ones detained.

Daher Al-Mayhi, 50, of Dearborn Heights said her husband, who has medical problems, was taken by immigration agents on Sunday. He had served one year in prison for fraud a few years ago. Like many of the others detained, he was a legal immigrant.

Daher Al-Mayhi, 50, of Dearborn Heights, attends protest on July 12, 2017, on 15 Mile and Ryan Rd., against ICE detentions of Iraqi immigrants. She holds picture of her husband, who has medical problems and was taken by immigration agents on Sunday. He had served one year in prison for fraud a few years ago. Like many of the others detained, he was a legal immigrant.(Photo: Niraj Warikoo)

Sabrina Pasha of Sterling Heights begged for ICE to release her son, Tony Hormez, 42, who spent most of his life in the U.S.

Sabrina Bashar of Sterling Heights begs ICE not to deport her son, Tony Hormez, 42, who has spent most of his life in the U.S. "He doesn't even speak Chaldean," she says.(Photo: Elaine Cromie, Detroit Free Press)

Inside the Butris home on Monday, parents of the detainee and other family members worried Haydar would be easily targeted if he is sent back to Iraq since he doesn't speak Arabic well and is Christian.

The family is trying to see if they can get his case reopened so he is not deported. It's unclear what the time table is for the detainees and when they might be removed from the U.S.

"My mother was crying," when the ICE agents arrived at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning, said Butris' younger brother, Martin Mansor. "She fainted. ... We're devastated. We really don't know what to do. We don't want him sent back there because of the genocide of Christians."

Lily pondered a life without her dad: "It's complete insanity. ... Why is there such cruelty in the world?"

Martin Mansor speaks with his brother, Haydar Boutris, on the phone on June 12, 201,7. Boutris was calling from an immigration detention facility in Youngstown, Ohio, where ICE immigration agents had taken him.(Photo: Niraj Warikoo)

"I Miss My Dad. Bring him Back. I Love Him So Much," reads sign by family of Haydar Boutris, 38, of Sterling Heights, detained by ICE agents on June 11, 2017, as part of a sweep of Iraqi immigrants officials said had criminal records.(Photo: Niraj Warikoo)